Dental engine.



40. H.- & A. P. PIEPER,

DENTAL ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. 7,1906.

Wi lneooca ImmswA E. GRAHAM cc. Pxom Lwncm O. H. n A.. E. 'PIEPEPMDENTAL ENGINE.

APPLICATION FILED FEB. "I, 1906.

Patented AugJa' a SHEETS-SHEET 2.

monsw. IlA GRAHAM oo. PHom-LrruosnAPHEns. wAsmnG 0. H. & A.'F. PIEPER.DENTAL ENGINE.

APPLIGATION FILED FEB.7,1906.

930,082. Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

a SHEETS-SEEET 3.

moniw. a www4 co. PHwoLm-locRAPI-IERS. WASI-Huston. n c,

UNFED STAFES PATENT OFFCF.

OSCAR H. PIEPER AND ALPHONSE F. PIEPER, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DENTAL ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 3, 1909.

Application 'filed February 7, 1906. Serial No. 299,994.

To all who-m it may concern:

Be it 1inown that we, OSCAR H. PIEPER and Arnonsn F. lmrnn, of the cityof Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, haveinvented certain nei.v and useful improvements in Dental Engines; and wedo hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the same, reference 1' eing had to the accompanyinldrawings, forming a part of this specification, and to thereferencenumerals marked thereon.

Our present invention relates to improvements in dental engines, and ithas for its object to provide an improved device oli' this kind w"erebythe hand piece carrying the tools employed by the operator in grinding,drilling, polishing and various other operations, is capable of a widerange oi' adjustment and movement with slightest effort and strain onthe hand of the operator, so that the various dental operations may beperformed with delicacy and in the most convenient manner.

Our invention also has as an obj ect to provide certain improvements inthe details of the device that improve its general construction andoperation.

To these and other ends the invention consists in certain improvementsand combinations oi' parts, all as will be hereinafter more fullyexplained, the novel features being pointed out in the claims at the endof the speciiication.

ln the drawings: Figure 1 represents a side elevation ot a dental engineor bracket constructed in accordance with our present invention; Fig. 2is a view similar to Fig. 1, the extensible section occupying anextended position for lengthening the main supporting arm; Fig. 3 is adetail view of so much of the main supporting arm as shows theextensible feature. Fig. 4 illustrates the invention applied to dentalbrackets having the operating motor supported on the main arm thereof.Fig. 5 is a detail view of the hinge and swivel connection between themain supporting arm and the freely movable or pendent arm of the engine.Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the swivel connection between the pendentarm and the horizontal arm which connects it to the hand piece. Fig. 7represents a section on the line 7 7 of Fig. 6. Fig. S represents atransverse section of the belt tensioning pulley on the line 8 8 of Fig.3. Fig. represents a section on the line 9 9 of Fig. 3. Fig. 10 is adetail view of the hinge members for connecting the pendent andhorizontal arms, the stop device for the arm 24 being shown in section.Fig. 11 represents a section on the line 11 of Fig. 6, and Fig. 12 is aperspective view showing the outer casing of the stop device removed.

Similar reference numerals in the several figures indicate similarparts.

In dental engines and other devices oi the same general class, it isparticularly desirable that the relation between the hand piecesupporting the operating tool and the motor shall be such that the mostdelicate movements of the hand piece may take place without moving theheavier parts of the bracket in order that the hand piece will respondin movement to the slightest efforts of the operator, enabling thevarious dental operations to be performed with delicacy and precisionand without producing tension or strain on the hand or" the operator,and the present embodiment of our invention is shown applied to such adental engine embodying a main supporting arm 1 having an adjustableclamp 2 ifor rigidly securing 1t at the desired angle ol' inclination bymeans of its coperative relation with the bearing 3, the latter' beinglree to swing in a horizontal plane by means of its pivotal connectionwith the brackets et irmly secured to a wall or other suitable means ofsupport 5. This main supporting arm is made up of two or more telescopicsections or members which are capable oi relative longitudinal movementfor varying the length thereof, and the arm shown in the presentinstance is composed of a tubular lower section 6 having a belt pulley 7ixed thereon and an upper extensible section 8 fitted to operatelongitudinally within the tubular section. This extensible section has abelt pulley 9 fixed to that end thereof which is inclosed within thetubular lower section, the said pulley having a bearing or supportingpin 10 extending through a longitudinal slot 11 in the tubular section6, and screwed or otherwise secured to the inner extensible section 8.The pulley 7 is journaled on a bracket 12 embodying a split sleeve 13adapted to be clamped in proper position on the outside of the tubularsection by means of a screw 14, a key 15 on this bracket resting in thelongitudinal slot 16 formed in the tubular section, and serving topermit relative main supporting arm. The hinge member the pulley 33,and, by means of the pulleys longitudinal movements oi the sections, andto prevent rotation of the bracket on its supporting section of the arm.

The upper end of the extensible section is provided With a downwardlyturned elbow 17 having a bearing portion 18 thereof extending in adirection substantially parallel to the main supporting arm, and servingas a journal bearing 'for a rotatable pin 19 carried on a hinge member20, the pin 19 having a circumferential groove 21 thereon to receive aretaining pin 22 which serves to permit a rotary movement of the hingemember 2O and yet prevents its disconnection from the 2O coperates withthe corresponding hinge member 23 on the pendent arm 24, the latterbeing arranged to hang vertically when in normal position from the upperend of the main supporting arm of the engine. The lower end ci thisvertically-hanging or pendent arm 24 is connected by hinge members 25and 26 to an arm 27 which is intended to occupy normally a substantiallyhorizontal position and serves to connect the pendent arm With the handpiece 28, the latter being ol'l any desired type having a pulley 29 fordriving the operating tool held thereby. The vertically-hanging arm 24is provided with a pair oi pulleys 30 at a point adjacent to its hingeconnection With the main supporting arm, While the arm 27 is providedwith a Jair of pulleys 31 at a point adjacent to its hinge connectionWith the arm 24, the hand piece in turn having a hinge connection withthe free end of the arm 27 and provided With a pair of guiding pulleys32 and 33 in line With the pulley 29 ol the hand piece.

In that form of our invention shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 3 the operatingmotor is located at a point removed from the bracket or engine, and itis connected to the hand piece by means of a belt 34 Which passes overpulleys 35 arranged adjacent to the hearing 3, and is extended up themain supporting arm and passe'sover the pulley 7 thereon, and thenceover the pulley 9, and from the pulley 9 it is extended over the pulleys30, 31 and 32, around the pulley 29 on. the hand piece, over 31, 30 and35, it returns to the operating motor. However, the motor, if sopreferred, may be carried on the main arm ofthe engine, as shown in Fig.4, this arm in this form of the invention having a vertical journal 36formed to enter a corresponding vertical bearing 37 in a rigidsupporting bracket 38, the latter being fixed in a suitable way to alWall or suitable support 39. This journal 36 has a circumferentialgroove 46 to receive a retaining pin 41 for permitting it to turn in ahorizont( plane, and to hold it from disengagement With its bearing inthe bracket. This journal 36 is also provided With a bearing 42 having aclamping device which serves to support the main bearing arm 1i of theengine in a Way that Will permit it to be secured at different angles ofinclination in a the hand piece, it is preferable to provideV means forpreventing complete rotation of the several arms of' the bracket inrelation to each other, as this Would cause twisting of thebelt, thepulleys 31 on arm 27 being limited in their rotation about the 24 in thepresent instance by means of the device shown in Figs. 6 and 7, Twhichis applied to the hinge member 25 by providing itv With a tubularextension 44 having a segmental axial slot 45 ingly-shaped stop 46,' theend of which projects somewhat heyond the tubular section 44, The lowerend of the arm24 is fitted into the hollow extension 44 of the hingemember 25 and is provided with a projection 47 Which permits the arm 27to swivel about the arm 24 in either direction-until the projection 47strikes the projecting por ion of the stop 46, so that complete rotationbe-` tween the arm 24 and the hinge member is prevented, althoughrelative rotation hetWeen these A casing 48 is iitted and the hingemember, being secured to th hinge member 25 by a scre'vv a shoulder 48aabutting the projection 47 on arm 24 to prevent relative separation ofthe said arm and hinge member in an axial direc-VV tion. A swivelconnection as above described is preferably also provideo between thehinge member 26 and the arm 27 for the purpose of permitting relativerotation through a limited angle between the pulleys 32 and 33 on thehand piece and the pulleys 31.

In order that the device may be handled With the greatest facility, itis preferable to provide a bracket'or support 50 on the main supportingarm to receive and hold the arm 24 at an inclination from its normalvertical position and to provide a similar bracket 5 1 on the arm 24 tosupport the hand piece 28,- as this enables these parts tobe Jfolded upclose to the main supporting arm and held out of the Way of theoperator, but Within convenient reach so that they may be readilybrought into operation atthe proper moment.y ln carrying this .intoeffectv the bracket 50` should occupy a fixed relation relatively ltothe end ofthe arm 24, Whether the-extensible section of the supportingarm is drawn out or not, and this is accomplished*con-A 49, and havingtherein to receive a corresporul#Y V' parts is permitted through a'considerable angle.

over the cooperating portions of the arm 24 kind above described,themain supporting arm is referably held rigidly at the proper angle oinclination in order that the arm 27 may rest substantially horizontalwhen the hand piece 29 is at the proper height relatively to thepatient, the arm 24 normally hanging freely in a vertical position. As`the hand piece is manipulated in various ways and shifted frequentlyfrom one position to another, the pivotal connections between the handpiece and the pendent arm 24 will cause the comparatively light arm 24to be swung more or less out of its vertical position, s

that the freedom with which this arm may swing permits the variousmovements of the hand piece to take place without the necessity ofimparting motion to the main supporting arm of the engine, and as thispendent arm 24 is very light in construction, the inertia of the partsthat must be moved at every change in the position of the hand piece isnegligible, and consequently the movements of the hand piece willrequire but little effort. Frequently it becomes necessary to operate onpatients while they are in a reclining position, and in such cases it isdesirable to preserve the relation between the hand piece and the arms24 and 27 and still bring these parts close to the altered position ofthe patient, and this may be accomplished by drawing out the extensiblesection Vof the main supporting arm, the arrangement of the pulleys 7and Q permitting the shortening and lengthening of the main supportingarm without disturbing the tension of the driving belt. rlhe telescopicarrangement for the tubular and extensible members of the mainsupporting arm is preferably employed, as each part is guided relativelyto the other and without looseness, as these parts are so fitted thatsuHicient friction is produced to hold the sections in relative adjustedpositions, even against the tension of the driving belt, and the novelway of mounting the pulleys on the relatively stationary and extensiblemembers prevents relative rotation either of the pulleys or thesections.

Ordinarily, as before stated, the freelyhanging arm 24 allows for allmovements of the hand piece, as it is comparatively light in weight andoperates as a freely-suspended pendulum to compensate for even the mostdelicate movements of the hand piece, but when the hand piece is moved aconsiderable degree in a direction transversely of the main supportingarm, the deflected pendent arm will cause the main arm to swing in ahorizontal plane about the bearings 4 in order to take up a new positionthat will allow the pendent arm to resume a substantially verticalposition, so that this comparatively light arm will at all times allowfor the delicate movements of the hand piece such as take place duringdental operations.

Vle claim as our invention:

l. ln a dental engine, the combination with a supportihg arm, of afreely swinging pendent arm suspended vertically from said supportingarm, a hand piece connecting arm, a device connecting one end of thelatter with the lower end of the pendent arm and having means permittingthe connecting arm to turn about an axis extending longitudinally of thependent arm, a hand piece, and a connection between the free end of theconnecting arm and the hand piece, having means permitting the latter toswing about an axis extending longitudinally of the connecting arm andalso about an axis extending transversely of said connecting arm.

2. In a dental engine, the combination with a supporting arm, of afreely swinging pendent arm suspended in a substantially vertical planefrom said supporting arm, a hand piece connecting arm, a deviceconnecting one end of the latter to the lower end of the pendent arm andhaving means permitting the connecting arm to turn about an axisextending longitudinally of the pendent arm and also means permittingthe connecting arm to turn about an axis extending transversely of saidpendent arm and a hand piece having a depending arm pivotally attachedto the connecting arm.

3. ln'. a dental engine, the combination with a supporting arm mountedto swing in a horizontal plane, of a vertical arm suspended to swingfreely from said supporting arm, a hand piece connecting arm, a deviceconnecting the lower end of the vertical arm with one end of theconnecting arm and having means permitting the connecting arm to turnabout an axis extending longitudinally of the vertical arm, and alsohaving means permitting the connecting arm to turn about an axis.transverse to the longitudinal axis of the vertical arm, and a handpiece having a swivel connection with the said connecting arm forpermitting relative rotation about the said arm as an axis, and alsohaving a hinge connection therewith for permitting its relativeadjustment about an axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of theconnecting arm.

4. In a dental engine, the combination with a supporting arm, of anintermediate arm attached to the supporting arm, a hand piece connectingarm, a connection between one end of said connecting arm and one end ofthe intermediate arm permitting the connecting arm to swin about an axisextending longitudinally of the intermediate arm,

anda hand piece articulated on the other extremity of the connectingarm, of pulleys arranged adjacent to the connected ends ofthe'supporting, intermediate and connecting arms and onthe hand piece, abelt passing over the saidv pulley, and a stop device for limiting theangle of relative rotation about the swivel joint between saidintermediate and connecting arms.

5. In a dental engine, the combination With a supporting arm mounted tosvi/'ing in a horizontal plane, of an intermediate arm, hinge memberspivotally connecting it to the supporting arm, one of said members havina sWivelconnection vith the supporting arm, a hand' piece connectingarm, a connection between the connecting arm and the intermediate arm,having means permitting the connecting arm to sn-:ing about an axisextending longitudinally of the intermediate arm and also having meanspermitting the connecting arm to saving about an axis extendingtransversely oi' said intermediate arm, a hand piece articulated on theconnecting arm, a driving belt, pulleys therefor carried by thesupporting, intermediate and con necting arms and on the hand piece, anda stop device for limiting the relative rotary movement between theconnecting and the intermediate arm.

6. In a dental engine, the combination With tWo arms thereof, and ahinge connection between them, of a sleeve on one of the arms having asegmental stop thereon, and a portion on the other arm adapted torotatably iit in said sleeve having a projection thereon arranged tocoperate With said stop to limit the relative rotation betvveen the twoarms.

7. In a dental engine, the combination With a sup orting arm, and a pairof hinged arms attaclied thereto, of a sleeve on one of the arms havinga segmental axial slot thererotation of said arm, and a casing securedto the sleeve and having a shoulder cooperating with said projection toprevent axial disengagement of the parts. Y

8. In a dental engine, the combination viith a supporting arm embodyinglongitudinally adjustable sections, the outer section having a reverselyturned end forming a journal bearing, otlset from the arm and a pulleyon each section of the arm, of a hinge member provided vrith a pivot pinjournaled in said bearing, an adjustable arm having a hinge membercooperatingV with Ythe iirst mentioned hinge member,l and pulleys`carried on the adjustable arm and arranged eccentrically to the hingepivot, a hand piece at-VA tached to the free end of said adjustable arm,

and a belt passing over the said pulleys and operatively connected tothe han piece. Y

9. In a dental engine, the combination with a supporting arm embodyinglongitudinally adjustable sections, the outer section having an offsetportion, a hinge member mounted to turn on said offset portion about anaxis parallel with the longitudinal axis of the supporting arm, an armhaving a hinge member co operating with the iirst'mentioned hingemember, pulleys carried 'with one of said hinge members, ahand pieceoperatively connected to the arm, and a belt passing over the pulleysand operatively connected to the han piece.

OSCAR H. PIEPER. ALPHONSE F. PIEIER.

YWitnesses:

CLARENCE A. Barni/IAN, RUSSELL B. GRIFFiTH.

